Sermon Tone Analysis

The Powerful Words

Acts 19:8-20

*Secular:*

* We know how powerful words can be….

* Honey the doctor’s office phoned… and we’re having a baby!

* Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband… to have and to hold…

* The results have come back… I am sorry it is cancer…

* Mom look… I got an “A”

* Licence and registration please…

* Congratulations it’s boy…

* Unfortunately because of your teacher’s illness today’s test has been cancelled

* And now I’d like to introduce to you the graduating class of 2003

* Yes… I will marry you…

* Powerful Words…

*Biblical:*

NAU Acts 19:8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading /them /about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.

18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and /began /burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So the /word of the Lord/ was growing mightily and prevailing.

*Personal:*

* Do you remember when the Spirit of God transformed you?... through conviction, the word,…

* Do you remember the first time you understood… “It is finished”

* The first time the Gospel message made sense… and was acutely personal

*  … how about the your first Easter celebration as a believer?

*Bridge:*

* We spend far too much of our time… outside God’s Power…

* Not that we escape him…

* But that we are not living according to his disclosed will…

* There is power is words of God… We need to be faithful servants sharing those Powerful Words… it is our mandate!

*Declaration of PW*

*Confirmation of PW*

*Competition* *to PW*

*Conviction* *of PW*

*Domination of PW*

* Let’s examine these areas in Paul’s teaching…

 

*Body:*

*Declaration *

NAU Acts 19:8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading /them /about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

* Boldness hallmark of Apostolic Preaching Acts 4:29 & Paul’s ministry Eph 6:19

* NAU Acts 4:29 "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,

* NAU Ephesians 6:19 and /pray /on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

* Unflinchingly…  pressed on in the middle of Jewish situation… to persuade… (gk.

Convince by argument)

* This isn’t blind faith…

* Or dumb faith…

* The truth of God is a intellectual reality

* And a spiritual reality

*  The msg to the Jews… Repent and believe… in their Messiah & God – Jesus

*  Paul kept the message in front of them…

* they were without excuse…

* and their hearts hardened…

* NAU Romans 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

* NAU Hebrews 3:8 DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

* NAU Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is /still /called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

* NAU Hebrews 3:15 while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME."

* NAU Hebrews 4:7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."

* The gospel has two effects… remember God’s Word never returns void… NAU Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding /in the matter /for which I sent it.

* NAU 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.

And who is adequate for these things?

* They were disobedient to the divine command… to know Jesus… repent and be redeemed…

* NAU Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

* Speaking evil of “The Way” … early name for Christians… the Church…

* Slander against the church

* Against faith in Christ

* Sound familiar?

*  They continued… rebuffed in one spot… continue in another

*  … continued to share for two years…

* Many of the Seven churches of Revelation… and in Colosasae and Hierapolis… were born out of the tenacity and passion of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus…

* Great Commission to a “T”… "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…

* Faithful disciples make… incredible evangelists

* Tenacity teaches the imperative nature of the mission…

* Declaration… shows commitment…

* Declaration… points to the truth….

*Confirmation*

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

* With the New Testament not yet completed… there was no point of reference for Paul… hearers… Supporting his declaration

* A standard feature of the apostolic preaching was to have it accompanied by authenticating miracles…

* NAU Hebrews 2:3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

* It was the Spirit of God… authenticating his message… in power…

*  God consistently empowers his messengers… and  credibility is still guaranteed by the Spirit… but after the Apostolic era it is the Spirit’s inspiration of Scripture… and the preacher’s consistency with the Revelation of God

*  Confirmation of the message

\\ *Competition*

13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

* Syncretism… test all the seems to be effective and incorporating into your practice…

*  Kind of the New Age…

* blending the ideas of Eastern religion

* Chi

* Zen

* Karma